MovieMaker Magazine today named the Santa Fe International Film Festival as one of its “50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee in 2024.”
SFIFF is the only film festival in New Mexico to make the list, which will appear in the magazine's spring issue.
“As Santa Fe becomes a major hub for production, SFiFF remains consistent in its dedication to filmmakers and the art of making movies in this community," says Jacques Paisner, the festival's artistic director. "Coinciding with Santa Fe’s listing as MovieMaker’s number one small city, we feel it is apropos to be included again on this list of top regional festivals.”
“Located in the No. 1 town on our list of the Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker, SFIFF has a best-of-both worlds appeal: It feels far from the pressure of the coasts, but New Mexico is fast-becoming one of the world’s great film hubs. (Oppenheimer shooting outside Santa Fe didn’t hurt.),” MovieMaker writes. “The prizes are generous, including a $90,000 prize package from Panavision and Light Iron for the Best Narrative Feature and a $15,000 Panavision camera package for the Best Narrative Short. The festival is also generous with travel and lodging.
"Films in the latest edition included the world premiere of Lois Lipman’s documentary First We Bombed New Mexico, the untold story of how the Trinity test portrayed in Oppenheimer affected thousands of New Mexicans, including the Indigenous people of the region."
MovieMaker, a film magazine and website based in Los Angeles, compiles its annual list based on such factors as location, cost, how many films are submitted vs. how many films are chosen, whether a festival can qualify a film for Oscar consideration, and whether it has a screenwriting competition. “We also look at how festivals make life easier for filmmakers, by helping with travel costs, offering stipends or screening fees, or simply free meals and drinks," MovieMaker writes.
This year's SFIFF is October 16-20. The regular deadline to submit a film is May 1, and the final deadline is July 17. Visit www.santafe.film for information. Watch MovieMaker’s “50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee” here.
By Carolyn Graham